# Of The Election Of The Pope; And Of Such As Have Usurped The Chair.

Date not assigned · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: OF THE ELECTION OF THE POPE; AND OF SUCH AS HAVE USURPED THE CHAIR.



In the introduction to the Martyrs Mirror (edition
of 1631, fol. 25, 26, 27) mention is made from
Cardinal Baronius (we have looked into his history,
and found it to be so at the place referred to), of
various popes who ran of themselves, without lawful
election or mission; and also of some who usurped
the chair, without the consent of the church, merely
by the power of princes and potentates.

Among the popes who, without lawful election or
mission, ran of themselves, are numbered Stephen
VII., Christopher, and Sergius III., with whom it
was as follows:

Stephen VII. expelled Boniface VI. by force from
the Roman see, after the death of Formosus; and
afterwards committed an abominable deed on the
dead body of said Formosus, who was counted a
lawful and good pope; which deed the Cardinal C.
Baronius describes from Luytprandus and others as
follows:

“In this same year was perpetrated the great
wickedness which Luytprandus and others relate,
but incorrectly by Sergius; since the acts of the
aforementioned Synod under Pope John IX., to
which doubtless more credence is to be given, impute
it to the then existing pope, Stephen IX.

He caused the dead body of Formosus to be exhumed,
and placed it on the pope’s throne, dressed
in all his papal robes; whereupon he upbraided Formosus,
as though he were alive, that he, through
great ambition, had come from the chair of Porto
into that of Rome; anathematized him on this account,
had the dead body stripped of all the robes, as
also the three fingers with which Formosus according
to custom used to ordain, cut off from the same,
and thus thrown into the Tiber. Besides this he
deposed all those who had been ordained by Formosus,
and re-ordained them; all of which he did
from pure madness.” See C. Baron. histor. Eccl.
Anno 897. num. 1. 2.

After this the same Baronius relates of Christophorus,
who also thrust himself into the papal chair,
the following:

“Further, in the following year of Christ . . . in
the tenth indiction,55 Pope Benedict died, and was
buried in St. Peter’s church. In his place succeeded
Leo, the fifth of this name, a native of Ardea,
who held the chair only forty days, being expelled
and imprisoned after that by Christophorus,
who himself occupied the chair after him.” Baron.
Ann. 906. 907. num. 2.

The aforementioned Christophorus, who had expelled
his predecessor, Leo V., from the chair, and
taken possession of it himself, was, in his turn,
robbed of the occupancy of the chair by another,
called Sergius III., who was ambitious of the same
dominion; which Sergius, although he attained to
the papal dignity, without being elected or called,
yea, more than that, was, according to the testimony
51of the papists themselves, fearfully tyrannical
and unchaste, is nevertheless recorded with the
aforementioned upon the Register of the legitimate
popes of Rome. See Baron. Ann. 907. num. 2.,
Ann. 908. num. 3.

In the midst of this account this papistic writer
declares, that these were the dreadful times when
every self-constituted pope immediately nullified that
which his predecessor had made. Ann. 908. num. 2.

Confirmatory of this matter is also that which is
adduced in the “Chronijk van den Ondergang,”
edition 1617, for the year 891, page 315. col. 1. 2.
from the tract of “Den Onpartijdigen Rechter.”

If one will but consider, says this writer, the spiritual
or ecclesiastical perfidiousness and rebelliousness
of the popes, he will find in ancient history,
that the Roman popes have at all times quarreled
and contended with one another for the papal chair.

Thus John XXIV., having come to Bononia with
many soldiers, threatened all the cardinals severely,
if they would elect a pope who would not please
him. When many had been nominated to him, and
he would assent to none of them, he was finally requested
to state whom he would elect thereto. He
replied: “Give me Peter’s robe, and I shall deliver
it to the future pope.” But, when that was done,
he put the robe upon his own shoulders, saying:
“I am the pope.” And though this greatly displeased
the other cardinals, they were nevertheless
compelled to acquiesce in it.

In the same manner John XXII. elected himself
pope when the election was committed to him. See
9th book of the above mentioned chronicle, for the
year 891, at the place there referred to.

Note.—In addition to what has been stated in
the body [of this work] concerning the popes who
exalted themselves to the papal reign, it is also
proper to give what may be read in the “Chronijk
van den Ondergang der Tyrannen,” for the year
537, where the popedom of Vigilius is thus spoken
of: “This Pope Vigilius was certainly impelled by
the spirit of ambition; he greatly aspired to the
popedom, and wrongfully ascended the papal chair,
for he counseled the empress, how to expel Pope
Silverius. He engaged false witnesses, who said
that Silverius intended to betray the city of Rome
secretly, and surrender it to the Goths (of which we
shall afterwards speak more fully); therefore he was
deposed from the popedom by force, and relegated
into misery; and thus Vigilius six days afterwards
became pope. The Empress Theodora desired him
to reinstate Anthenius at Constantinople, as he had
promised to do; but Vigilius refused, saying that
one was not bound to keep a bad promise against
one’s conscience.” Compared with the account of
Platina, in his “Panselijk Register,” fol. 110.
Also, Chron. Fasci. Temp. fol. 117.





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